Refrigerator car construction



June 10, 194i. R. B. WINSHIP REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Original Filed June 30, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w A30 /3/ 304 H o Patented June 10, 1941 2,244,862 REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Ralph B. Winship, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to Standard Railway Refrigerator Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application June 30, 1938, Serial No.

1989, Serial No. 270,570

Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities at a predetermined temperature. A refrigerator car comprises a body having insulated floor, walls and roof and means for cooling in summer and heating in winter.

This invention applies particularly to cars having the cooling means suspended immediately below the ceiling of the car, said means comprising containers having a refrigerant therein, the refrigerant being pure water ice, ice mixed with salt, a brine solution or frozen brine, known as eutectic ice. It is preferable to provide a flue leading from the space surrounding the container to below the load supporting foraminous floor. The flue, which is preferably adjacent the side wall of the car, provides a path for the circulation of cooled air and also serves to drain oif liquid from condensation on the tanks or from melting of the refrigerant.

It is an object of this invention to build a car having bunkers suspended below the ceiling and to provide a drip pan and side flue for circulation of air and draining of liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for ventilating the car. Some types of lading do not require refrigeration but require a constant flow of air over them to carry away heat which they constantly emit. This invention provides apertures in the walls of the containers so that when the plug is removed from the hatch, air may circulate through the hatch and apertures and into the lading space of the car. It is a further object of the invention to provide inverted louvers adjacent said apertures to prevent upwardly splashing liquid from said containers from entering the la'ding space of the car.

It is a further object of the invention to slope the bottoms of the refrigerant containers downwardly away from the ventilating apertures, thus reducing the tendency of liquid to splash through the apertures.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial transverse section of the refrigerator car on line l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows a modified construction.

The underframe of the car comprises a center sill 2; cross members (bolsters, cross-bearers and cross-ties) 3 and steel side sill angle 4. A subfioor 5 and wooden side sill 6 are supported by the underframe of the car; the wooden sill 6 being secured to the steel sill 4 by the bolts I. Several layers of pliable insulation 8 rest Divided and this application April 28,

upon the sub-floor 5 and the main load supporting floor 9 is supported by the wooden side sill 6 and the stringer II] which also serves as a cleat to hold the insulation 8 in place.

The side wall l5 of the car derives its principal support from the Z-bar posts I6 which are riveted to the metallic sub-sill ll. Tht subsill I! is supported upon and insulated from the underframe of the car by the wooden sill 6. The posts l6 are secured at their upper ends. to the inner metallic side plate I8 and braced at intervals along their length by the channel shaped belt rails I9 which are riveted to the posts I6. The side sill insulation 20 comprises several layers of pliable insulation 2| with a layer of waterproof material 22 secured to one face thereof. The wooden pieces 23 function to further brace the side wall l5 and to hold the insulation 20 in place. The metallic strips 24 and the belt rails l9 also function as cleats to prevent the insulation from slipping. A wooden stringer 25 reinforced by an angle 26 and secured to the metallic sill 4 serves as the lower support for the Wood sheathing 21. The upper end of the sheathing 21 is secured to the wooden piece 28 which is tied to the inner metallic side plate l8 by the brackets 29 spaced at intervals longitudinally of the car. The outer metallic side plate 30 is secured to the wooden piece 28.

Flues for circulation of air are formed adjacent the wall l5 by placing on the inner side of the Z-bar posts I6 a layer of waterproof material 36. Wooden lining 31 is secured to the posts IS on top of the paper 36 to resist the side thrust of the lading. Each flue 35 extends longitudinally of the car the distance between the posts l6 and has for its walls the layers of Waterproof material 22 and 36. In addition to forming a waterproof flue, this material also serves as a barrier to prevent infiltration of water vapor into the insulation.

The refrigerant containers are solid tanks designed for the retention of the melted refrigerant and are formed from steel plate by welding. The bottom 46 and sides 41-48 of each tank are formed from a single sheet of steel. The ends'49 and top 50 are separate pieces secured preferably by spot welding; the seams being watcrproofed by solder or car cement. opening is provided in the top sheet to communicate with the hatch 5!. A plurality of stifieners 52 are Welded to the sides 41, 48 and bottom 46 of the container and extend longitudinally of the container from end to end. The stiifeners 52 function as beams to strengthen the container and as skids upon which the ice may be pushed to the ends of the container. Apertures 53 are provided near the tops of the walls 41-48 for the passage of air when it is desired to ventilate the car. Inverted louvers 54 tend to prevent the splashing of liquid from the tank through the apertures 53.

The drawings show the ventilating apertures 53 near the tops of the walls 4'l48. They would be most effective if placed in the wall 48 as the ventilating air could flow through the apertures 53 and downwardly through the central duct llll to the lading compartment Ill. Air passing through the apertures 53 into the channel H3 must flow downwardly through the flues 35, under the foraminous floor and upwardly to the lading compartment HI.

Fig, 5 shows a modified form of ventilating apertures. The apertures I30 are positioned near the tops of the walls 48. Bafile plates 13! are spaced from the walls 48 a short distance to allow air to pass through the apertures I36. Liquid which splashes through the apertures is prevented by the plates l3! from entering the central duct I91 and damaging the lading in the space below the duct lill.

The accompanyng drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

This is a division of my application, Serial No. 216,732, filed June 30, 193

I claim:

1; In a refrigerator carprovided with a pair of solid refrigerant tanks near the roof of the car, said tanks being spaced apart at the longitudinal center of the car, means to provide an air duct therehetween in spaced relation thereto which communicates with the interior of the car, a hatch in the roof communicating with each tank, the walls of said tanks adjacent said duct being provided with inverted louvers adjacent the tops thereof whereby when said hatches are open the car will be ventilated by outside air passing through said hatches, said tanks, said louvers and said duct into the interior of the car,

and whereby said louve'rs prevent a liquid refrigerant from splashing into said duct.

2. In a refrigerator car having a roof provided with a hatch, a refrigerant container below said hatch and in the upper part of the lading compartment of the car, a drip pan below said container, said container having an aperture therein for the movementof ventilating air through said hatch and aperture to said lading compartment and means to direct liquid refrigerant which splashes through said aperture to said drip pan.

3. In a refrigerator car having a roof provided with a hatch, a refrigerant container below said hatch and in the upper part of the lading compartment of the car, a vertical Wall having a vertical flue associated therewith, a drip pan spaced below said refrigerant container to provide a substantially horizontal duct communicating with said flue, said container having an aperture therein for the movement of ventilating air through said hatch and aperture to said lading compartment and means to prevent liquid refrigerant which splashes through said aperture from entering the lading compartment, said means comprising a baflle plate opposite said aperture and spaced therefrom to direct said liquid refrigerant to said duct.

. said aperture.

5. In a refrigerator car having a roof provided with a hatch, a vertical flue associated with a vertical wall of the car, a secondary foraminous floor to provide a space below the lading which communicates with said flue, a refrigerant container subjacent said hatch and an enclosing structure for said container providing a duct communicating with said flue and an inlet to said duct from the lading compartment of the car,- said container being substantially imperforate except for an opening therein leading to said hatch and an aperture therein for movement of ventilating air therethrough from said hatch to said wall flue, and another aperture therein for movement of ventilating air therethrough from the hatch to the inlet and thence to the lading compartment whereby ventilating air flowing inwardly through said hatch enters the lading compartment of the car from the top down and from the bottom up.

6. In a refrigerator car having a roof provided with a hatch, a refrigerant container below said hatch and in the upper part of the lading compartment of the car, said container having an aperture in a wall thereof and means to prevent liquid splashing from said container through said aperture to the lading compartment, said means comprising a bafiie plate opposite said aperture and spaced therefrom.

-7. In a refrigerator. car, a refrigerant tank below the roof and above the lading compartment, a hatch in said roof communicating with the interior of said tank, an inverted louver in a wall of said tank, whereby ventilating air may flow through said hatch, said tank and said louver tosaid lading compartment and whereby said louver prevents a liquid from splashing from said tank.

8. In a refrigerator car provided with a refrigerant tank near the roof of the car, a duct adjacent said container communicating with the interior of the car, ahatch in said roof communicating with the interior of said tank, said tank being substantially imperforate except for the opening to said hatch, and apertures in the upper part of one of the walls of said tank adjacent said duct, whereby ventilating air may flow from outside the car through said hatch, said tank, said apertures and said duct to the interior of the car, the bottom of said tank sloping downwardly away from said last mentioned wall to direct liquid away from said apertures.

9. A refrigerant container adapted for use in a refrigerator car, said container comprising a bottom and upstanding walls, an aperture in one of said walls, and a baflle plate aligned with said aperture in spaced relation to said last mentioned wall.

10. A refrigerant container adapted for use in a refrigerator car, said container comprising a bottom and upstanding walls, and aperture in one of said walls, and a bafile plate aligned with said aperture exterior of the container and in spaced relation to said last mentioned wall.

RALPH B. WINSHIP. 

